The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-06-10
AN AFRO-AMERICAN LEAGUE
For Protecting Colored People In the South
General Scope of the Plan.

-Generai scope OF the Plan.
Boston Herald.
near future. a strong and formidable organiza
ton among the colored people in this country.
to be known as the Afro-American League, hav-
ing for its object the protection of the colored
people in the Southern States. The idea orig
mated with Mr.. T. Thomas Fortune. editor OF
the New York Freeman. of the leading
coiored journalists of the country Why this
league should be formed is thus stated by Mr.. For
tune: First. The almost universal suppression
of our ballot in sthe South, and consequent
taxation without representation 2. The uni
versal and lamentable reign of lynch and mob
law, of which made the victims in the
South. 8. The unequal distribution of school
equal and undivided benefits of which all are
alike entitled. 4. The odious ard demoralizing
penitentiary system of the South, with its chain
gangs, convict leases and indiscrimnate mixing
of males and females. s. The almost universal
tyranny of comrnor-carrier corporations IN the
South-raIlroad, steamboat and other-in which
the common rights of colored men and women
are outraged and denied. G. The general policy
of those who conduct places of public accommo-
dation and are granted license for this purpose.
such as keepers of inns, hotels, and conductors
of theaters and kindred places of amusement
where one mans money. all things being equal,
should usually be as good as anothers. / think
this league should have its strongest hold in the
Southern States. 1t is 10 those States that the
grievances we complain of have most glazing
and oppressive existence; 1t is In those States
that the bulk of our people reside The League
in the North and West will serve to create pub
lie opinion in those sections and to coerce poll
ticians into taking broader view of our griev-
ances. and to compel them to pay more respect
to our representations and requests than they
have ever done before. This will follow fast
upon organization and capable management In
the North and West we are not restrained in the
from this what benefit accrues to us2
Elections come and pass. parties are
successful or defeated, but the influence
of the race remains simply worthless,
the victor aud the vanquished alike treating
with ind ference or contempt after the election
And if we continue in the future as in the past.
a disorganized and leaderless mass, there Will
be no change for the better. rather for the
worse. 1t is only by proper organization and
discipline that anything to our advantage
be accomplished. The people suffer in silence.
This should not be. They should have voice.
The grievances they are forced to suffer should
be known of all the world, and they must be.
An organization national in its ramlfcations,
such we propose, would be such a voice. and
SO loud that it would compel men to hear 1t; for
if it were silenced in the South it would be all
the louder in the North and the West. Some
say 'colored men should be the last persons to
draw the color linen So they should be;
they have been; and they would never have
drawn any such line, or proposed that any such
should be drawn, if white men had not first
drawn it, and continue to draw it III
religion. in politics, in educational matters, in
all moral movements, like that of temperance.
for instance. We have not drawn the line The
eternal compromises of our manhood and self
respect, true of the past. must cease. Right is
right, and we should time under any
circumstances compromise upon anything but
absolute right. If the white man cannot rescue
drunkards and evangeiize our sinners except
by insulting us, let him keep away from His
contamination under such conditions does
more harm than good 1t is not we who have
drawn the color line That is pure nonsense
Take public schools; take the schools
and colleges throughout the land-who
draw the color line in thesel Is there
coored school of any sort in the South
where a white applicant would be refused ad-
mission account of his colorl Not one Is
ored applicant would not be refused admission
account of his color? Not one. The thing is
plain. The white man draws the color line III
everything he has anything to do with. He ia
saturated with the black mud of prejudice and
intolerance. What political party has
miles, and colored leaders as other than conven-
lent tools2 We have controlled one million votes
annually for twenty years. and what have
to snow for theml Where are the col
ored who have been honored
above their fellows by the
diplomatic places of the third class and few
minor places now mostly covered by civil -ssyvice
rules fill up the list. The elective officers do not
count here They were the result of own
votes. Where are the laws anywhere outside
the three constitutional amendments enacted to
insure us in our rights2 Where are they2 We
protest that we have squandered voting
strength and our brain power long enough! We
protest that owe it to ourselves and our
children to take another and more intelligent
and manly stand in all matters where our rights
and feelings concerned, and / submit that
this can be effected in no way better and with
more facility than through a national organiza-
abundance of this latter material in every State
the IInion.n